Flood in the Dessert
The remains of the Bardsdale Bridge after the flood. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
The remains of the Bardsdale Bridge after the flood. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
By Gazette Staff Writers — Wednesday, April 27th, 2022
The St. Francis Dam just prior to the collapse.
The St. Francis Dam just prior to the collapse.

On May 3rd PBS’s American Experience series will premiere “Flood in the Desert,” the story of the 1928 St. Francis Dam catastrophe. The Fillmore Historical Museum was pleased to be one of many local institutions which contributed to this documentary. PBS researchers spent several days on site looking through hundreds of photos from the museum’s collection. Other local resources included the Ventura County Library, Ventura County Museum, John Nichols Gallery, Santa Paula Historical Society and SCVHistory.com. Here is a link to information about the documentary. www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience